In Alaska, a young humpback whale entangled in a 300lb crab pot was successfully rescued by a team of experts. The rescue mission, which took place on October 11, was prompted by local residents who had spotted the distressed whale near Gustavus, close to Glacier Bay National Park. The residents reported the whale's unusual behavior, including trailing two buoys and struggling to move freely. The rescue team, including National Park Service personnel and members of the Large Whale Entanglement Response network, determined that the entanglement was life-threatening. The whale was found to be swimming in a tight clockwise circle, intermittently anchored by the heavy crab pot. The rescue team used drone footage to assess the situation and, after hours of effort, successfully freed the whale by cutting the entangling lines. They plan to monitor the whale's condition in the coming weeks.
Read the full story at
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2023/oct/30/rescuers-free-humpback-whale-hog-tied-crab-pot-alaska
